


The Runaway

by MysteriousKitts



Category: Naruto
Genre: Academy, Adorable, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Family Drama, Fluff, Friendship, Hinata x Ramen, Lonely Hinata Hyuga, One-Sided Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Pre Genin, Uzumaki Naruto is a Good Friend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-08 15:54:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17389328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysteriousKitts/pseuds/MysteriousKitts
Summary: After a harsh training session with her strict father Hinata resorts to running away from home in order to collect her thoughts. However she fell asleep due to exhaustion in the middle of nowhere and ends up in Naruto's home? Also since when did Naruto become so smart? Naruhina Friendship, one sided love... pre team 7/genin.





	1. Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Naruto's words Hinata's view on the Hyuga begins to change as she even starts to question herself.

She was focused on the sound of crunching snow and the cold bristling wind that gave her ears a pink tint. She wanted to escape from Ko's normally warm eyes turned cold or the inevitable fate she would face against her father.

The exciting sense of warmth she felt with Naruto was eventually stripped away as a wave guilt began to sink in.

A loud and heavy sigh brought her attention towards the tense guiding figure in front of her.

"Hinata-sama you can't just run off like that.." He was tired, bags under his eyes, he must have been looking for hours on end.

She felt bad.

"I-i'm sorry I-I was just-." She stopped herself, she was doing it again, making excuses for herself. Looking for a way to rid herself of blame, she didn't want to feel bad or guilty or anything at all.

Yet at the same time she wanted to argue, let her own frustrations out. Her impulsive actions weren't built off something insignificant. It was born from the grief of losing her mother, her kind brother like figure replaced with someone consumed by hatred and the slow but scary change her sister was enduring, Hanabi was drifting away.

The Hyuga and her father made her feel like she was inferior compared to everyone else.

As if something was wrong with her.

Confusion reigned in, she was glad that Naruto opened her eyes, she's sees the Hyuga in a new light, they do truly care about her and her future. They want the best for her, but why did she still feel like exploding with tears.

Why wasn't she happy.

"F-forget what I was s-saying, I-I'm sorry." Rubbing the back of her head awkwardly she began to stare at the ground.

After a minute of silence the duo reached the compound.

"Hinata-sama, your father is waiting for you in the garden." Ko swiftly walked away, directly heading for his bed.

She would admit, she felt her heart sink at the news, she abhors confrontation, especially when relating to someone as intimidating as her father. Nonetheless she dragged her shaking legs and heavy heart over to her father.

Peeking through the door, she watched her father gently tender to the flower in front of him. Envious thoughts and feelings rushed towards her head, if only he be that gentle towards her.

She began to backtrack, she was getting jealous of flowers….

She really needed some sleep.

"Father, I'm h-here as y-you requested." Revealing herself she tried to remain calm, poorly masking her fear.

"Where were you." Hiashi's bold and stern tone made Hinata squeak. His voice was dripping with not only authority but anger as well.

"I was w-with a f-friend.." She wasn't lying, Naruto was a friend and they were hanging out together.

Hiashi's face grew more stern as Hinata spoke, "Hinata, you make my job increasingly harder everyday." Hinata covered her face with hair to hide her embarrassment and swelling tears.

"As heir, you show a lack of ambition, your progress is slow and now you even prioritize friends over training." Hiashi voice began raise causing Hinata too cower.

"The main branch is a representation of Hyuga pride, our job is to make an example for everyone else to follow, were the strong pillar that the Hyuga rely on."

His voice dropped in volume as he looked away, "Your title as heir has been strippped from you and yet you still…"

She bit her lip, she wasn't expecting the change in tone, it was almost as if he was trying to protect her from something big. Like any caring father would.

Was he always like this.

"Your dismissed." It took Hinata a moment to hear Hiashi's words because something about his words caused her to go in deep thought.

Naruto's words opened her eyes and she wasn't sure if she wanted to go back.

She felt weird in the morning, she felt motivated and full of ambition. It wasn't for training or impressing her father, she was looking for something else.

The Hyuga wear the world's strongest eyes, however she seems to struggle with looking through different perspectives, closing herself off from others caused a lack of awareness or maybe even a drift from empathy.

She believed it was the same for most Hyuga residing in the compound.

Was that why her father is always so cold and strict towards her, was he just like her, or was their something she was missing.

Slowly she dressed in her ninja attire, washed up and finished near 5:30 am leaving her with 30 minutes to till the academy would begin.

If she wanted to look from different perspectives and acknowledge their feelings more, she herself would need to do something different.

One of the most empathetic people she knew was her mother, putting everything and everyone before herself, but she was gone. The memories she had of her mother were foggy, but she remember's them making her happy and bringing certain feelings or thoughts out.

She does remember her mother being very talkative, the things she would say would make her laugh and feel more comfortable. Her mother was just like Naruto, maybe by acting like them she would see and notice unthinkable things.

By talking maybe she could bring the parts that they can bring out of her out of others.

When it came to breakfast, she would usually eat fast so she wouldn't have to be in the presence of her family for very long.

Mulling over her thoughts during breakfast she decided, she wanted to take things slow and soak everything in. As well as replicate her mother's talkative, bring something out of them.

Hanabi had noticed the change in behavior and looked at her big sister with an inquisitive glance.

Clearing her throat Hinata, garnered the attention of her family, "S-so i-is everyone having a good d-day."

"The morning has practically just begun". It took Hiashi less than a second to shut down Hinata's offer for conversation.

Hinata's face of course burned red in response to this, all that courage for her to be shot down like it was nothing.

However as Hinata glanced at her younger sister's eruption of coughing she soon realized the tremors and tight grasp Hanabi had on the table was not coughing, it was laughter.

Maybe Hanabi was laughing at her and not with her, but this was immense progress. Hanabi has always had a weird sense of humor that has albeit died down, it's still apart of her.

If she can bring this part of Hanabi out maybe she'll learn things about her that she would've never realized other wise.

"W-well how h-has your day b-been so far." She wasn't going to give up just yet.

"Fine, the breakfast made was a good way to start my day." Hiashi couldn't help but glance at his daughter weirdly.

"Agreed." Hanabi was quick to answer with a particularly stern face but her eyes was filled with mirth.

She glanced at the clock and now alert it was almost time for her to go, she quickly finished up and said her goodbyes.

Sitting in her usual spot in the corner of the classroom, she began to look around, trying to look at her classmates in different lights or at least describe their attributes to an extent.

Her eyes laid on the back seat of Naruto's empty desk, she smiled and muttered out loud, "I really have him to thank him."

"Thank who?" Naruto's booming voice came from behind Hinata as he sat down next to her.

Startled, Hinata promptly fell out of her chair and hit her head.

"Sorry, did I scare you?" Naruto snickered at the girl's antic's but Hinata noticed there was something about Naruto's eyes that held sadness as he began talking.

"N-naruto why a-are you s-sitting next to me." Naruto had a huge crush on Sakura anyone with a brain could see that, so why wasn't he sitting next to her.

"I wanted to sit by my new best friend, is that wrong?" Hinata couldn't help but notice Naruto's slightly defensive nature and she couldn't help but smile. He's so confident but even he feels somewhat self conscious at times.

"No I'm just r-really happy." Hinata smiled at Naruto, she really did enjoy his presence and pretty much everything about him to be honest.

"Oh really, I mean, of course you do!" Naruto began boastfully laughing but Hinata help grin even wider as she noticed the way his eyes lit up.

He's too cute.


	2. Chapter 2

She gently caressed the bruises and calluses mapped across her red hands. A slimey, growing knot had wormed its way in her stomach. As if a tidal wave was slowly approaching or maybe a vortex had taken a hold of a her insides. Twisting and churning them, mixing them into a mushy mess.

After a harsh training session she was broken down from the pressure. She ran away from home. Her bold decision caused a cold sweat to flow down her back as fear held her heart hostage. Laying against a tree she curled into a ball in order to reserve warmth. Her cheeks and ears flushed in bright pink from the cold. Breathing slowly she watched small clouds form from her warm breath.

Squeezing her eyes together caused her mind to run somewhere else. She was dreaming of soft butterfly kisses and warm cookies from her mother. Imprisoning hugs from her father, filled with love. The cold exterior of her cousin would melt away leaving a strong pillar for her to rely on. Pure childlike wonder flushed back in her sister eyes.

Those pales eyes of Hanabi's would look up to her with mirth and pride.

A loud shuffling sound woke Hinata up from her slumber. A boy with golden hair and bright blue eyes was staring at her like a curious cat. Hinata's face burned with embarrassment, how long had she been sleeping?

Where even was she?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." He looked concerned for the pale eyed girl, it seemed like he was waiting for her to wake up.

His face contorted into a bright smile within seconds. "I know you, your.." His words started off strong only to end in a mumbling trail as he realized he couldn't recall. "Er, what's your name again."

"Hinata Hyuga." She stated slightly breathlessly, his eyes were so close to her own. She couldn't help but blush, the person she idolized for so long was talking to her.

"Oh, well my name is Naruto Uzumaki, but you probably already knew that!" He put on a cheeky grin in excitement.

"W-where am I.." The place was dim and had the faint scent of ramen. The bed also very warm, all these things reminded her of Naruto. This couldn't be where Naruto lived and she wasn't just sleeping in Naruto's bed 5 seconds prior, right?

Right?

"This is my apartment, it's a bit of a dump, but it's home." The blonde flashed a bright grin that made the pale eyed girl turn tomato red.

Hinata's heart was beating fast and the growing red hue on her face made it seem like she was glowing. She was practically on the verge of fainting, the very same news Naruto stated so nonchalantly.

They really were opposites.

"I found you sleeping near the training grounds in the middle of winter, so I brought you here since, I didn't want you to freeze." Naruto looked at Hinata seriously, seemingly worried for the girl's health.

Hinata had shifted uncomfortably, the silence reigned in for a long minute and Naruto was now just staring at her, obviously wanting her to talk about why she was sleeping near the training grounds in the first place.

"You don't talk much do you?" Naruto sighed, he was starting to get bored. "You really shouldn't be sleeping in the middle of nowhere."

"... I-I know." Hinata really didn't want to talk about why she ran away, she was already starting to feel tears rise up.

Naruto quickly taken notice of Hinata's mood and began to speak. "O-oi, don't be sad." He didn't want to feel responsible for making a girl cry.

"I-I'm s-sorry I just-" Her speech began to become drowned out by globs of tears and heavy heaves for air.

Naruto's eyes softened. "Ya know, I used to cry all the time, like when going to the bathroom it's important to relieve yourself of a little water." His grin widened as he noticed the small giggle that escaped from Hinata.

"But, even if you are left with nothing, I realized, sometimes you need to stop crying and you need to realize what you want to do next." Naruto looked at Hinata with serious eyes.

After a minute Hinata reduced her crying into small hiccups and puffy eyes. Naruto was right, she needed to take the step to go home. The Hyuga were probably off looking for her anyway.

But a inkling of small rebellious thought took over her mind. "I don't want to g-go home yet."

She looked at Naruto with determined eyes indicating she would not budge.

"Well.. you can hang out with me for awhile, as future Hokage it's my duty to make the people of this village happy." Naruto puffed out his chest, he thought he was acting mature and thoughtful, like a Hokage.

Naruto reached out his right hand towards Hinata. "Let's go to Ichiraku's, they always cheer me up."

Hinata wiped her face, patted down on her waist and grabbed on to Naruto's hand to get up. In a small and still shaky voice she

said, "Ok." and they walked along together.

She poked at the food, it was nothing like the food served at the Hyuga household however if Naruto adores ramen so much, it must be decent.

She timidly began to mince on the noodles as if she were a mice, trying to appear as polite as possible in front of her crush. However by the 30 second mark she was already finished with 3 bowls, she had turned into a hungry animal in mere seconds.

Naruto couldn't help but snort at the sight of a horrified Teuchi and a vicious Hinata.

"N-naruto this ramen is r-really g-good!" Hinata couldn't but gush over the ramen, she had never tried anything like it.

"Iruka takes me here from time to time on special occasions." Naruto grinned boastfully, he usually would never get a chance to brag about anything.

"Y-your lucky, m-my father w-would never let m-me h-have this, h-he's always on my back.." Hinata suddenly felt a little bitter, she didn't really want to think about her father.

"I don't have a real father but I think Iruka is pretty close." A sad smile appeared on Naruto's face. "He's always nagging but I guess it's his way of showing he cares, I know that I matter in his heart."

Hinata stopped eating for a minute and instead mulled over what Naruto said. "Y-your very s-smart Naruto…" She felt like a weight was shed off her shoulders and it was all because of him.

"I-I am… I mean, of course." He laughed boisterously, he didn't even think what he said was smart.

Take that Sasuke.

"I actually ran away b-because of my father said, but repeating your own words it's because h-he cares." Hinata smiled, her father

just wanted the best for her.

"D-do you think we c-can hang out like t-this again." Timidly she looked away, she felt weirdly sweaty to.

"Of course, were friends aren't we!" Naruto was called smart and made a friend in one day, he was sure amazing.

"Y-yes!" She was friends with Naruto! Before today she could barely stutter out his name and now their friends, good friends.

"Hinata-sama!" It was Ko and he did not look happy, quite the contrary actually. His voice was strained and drown out by exhausted heaves.

He must've been looking for her, she really would have to apologize.

"I should g-get going, hanging with y-you was a lot of fun!" She smiled, it was a weird fun, she did things and thought about things that never came across her mind. But it was also good fun.

"Sure, I'll see you Monday!" Naruto waved goodbye with eyes full mirth. Hinata was a weird girl, with a strong appetite and apparently a knack for sleeping in the middle of nowhere. But he liked her.

He liked his new friend a lot.


	3. Chapter 3

A loud bell rang as the hour hand hit twelve.

Hinata glanced at Naruto and his sleeping figure, she couldn't help but laugh. The moment Iruka opened his mouth to talk about something resembling math Naruto's face quickly contorted into fear.

He tried his hardest to stay awake but by the 10 minute mark he was out cold. She was proud of his undeniable tenacity to stay awake and admittedly amused.

She turned to wake him up, she didn't want him to sleep through lunch.

Naruto yawned loudly and wiped his eyes as if he was getting out of bed.

"U-um Naruto, classes will b-begin in t-twenty minutes, i-it's lunch time." Hinata averted her eyes, should she ask Naruto to eat with her or would that be weird?

She didn't want to come off as annoying.

Naruto eyes brightened up and became eager, "Hinata, do you want to go to Ichiraku's!"

Hinata's eye's mimicked Naruto's own excitement at the word Ichiraku's, "Of course!" She would just eat her boxed lunch sometime else.

They made a short trip to Ichiraku's and Hinata could feel her body shake with excitement.

Was this a date?

She glanced at Naruto as she sat down on the stools and sighed, obviously Naruto thought they were just eating lunch together as friends, no more no less.

She still wanted to hold onto that fantasy.

The ramen took Hinata's mind off Naruto for a while, she wanted to drown in the taste, how can something possibly taste so good.

"So, your Naruto's friend." Teuchi, the owner of the place, looked at Hinata with inquisitive look.

"Y-yes." Hinata was surprised at the question, were Teuchi and Naruto very close?

"I see, then please take care of him." He held this warm comforting tone in his voice that made Hinata's throat go suddenly dry.

"Old man, you can't just say stuff like that, it's embarrassing…" She glanced at Naruto, he was fidgeting, but she didn't believe it was out of discomfort or embarrassment.

He looked genuinely happy at those words, like he was going to burst with joy.

Hinata gave Teuchi a determined look and her voice followed suit, "I will." The eye smile Teuchi granted her only fueled her determination.

As Teuchi went in the back to help his daughter with dishes, Hinata turned to talk with Naruto.

"N-naruto, I wanted t-to ask you something, a-about what you said before, looking at different perspectives…." If she wanted to learn about and mend the bonds of her family she would need a teacher, Naruto.

"I was thinking that, i-if I-I learn to look at t-things from d-different p-perspectives then m-maybe, I can b-break down my f-families barriers and b-become a good leader." The determined look Hinata dawned before crawled back brighter than ever.

Naruto scrunched his brow together as he collected his thoughts, "Your not wrong, but if you really want to become a good leader and break barriers, you'll also need to earn their respect." He slurped some more ramen before he began speaking again.

"People value great strength in their leaders, a strong foundation or pillar for them to rely on." Naruto further emphasized his point with the fiery look in his eyes.

"S-so, I need t-to become stronger." Hinata looked at the ground, no matter how hard she tried and cried, she never made progress.

"More confident too, you should become my sparring partner, Iruka-sensei said that was essential for success." Naruto gained a slightly cocky look on his face, proud that he remembered that small bit of info.

Hinata looked up at Naruto and smiled, "Sure."

Maybe training would work better with someone like Naruto.

**Sorry for the short chapter, I'll try to keep them longer. I never quite explained this, but I was originally going to keep this story a short one shot but I had to much fun with this fanfic, so sorry if the transition feels weird.**


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